Large organizations increasingly rely on communication centers known as call centers for dealing with clients and customers. Such call centers handle and distribute conventional telephone calls to agents according to various business plans, in many instances are adapted as multimedia centers to handle communication of many sorts, such as e-mail, voice mail, data network telephony (DNT) such as Internet phone calls, conventional phone calls, and the like. The same organizations increasingly rely on digital-network communication technologies to enhance and expedite communication both internally and externally. More and more companies are linking to digital communication networks because such networks enhance an organization's ability to operate more quickly and efficiently. Such networks, weather local area networks (LAN) or wide area networks (WAN), or both, link company executives, agents, service representatives, and the like to each other and to the outside world through their computerized workstations. Such individuals that are linked via digital network may practice many different forms of communication over the networks. E-mail, fax, video phone, data phone, video mail, and other forms of digital communication are possible.
Of particular interest for the purpose of the present patent application is communication between large organizations and clients of those organizations, for example companies selling technically sophisticated products, and customers of such companies.
Successful communication between clients or customers and corporate representatives (agents) of a large organization is paramount to the well being of such an organization. For example, business contact information must be recorded and made accessible to agents. Customer information must be continually updated and stored for further reference. In a large organization it is often critical that all important communication events be made of record so that important information is not lost, and records of communication can be retrieved for many purposes. It is well understood that improved communication capabilities enhance a company's efficiency and profitability.
Due to large volume of communication events typically experienced by individuals who are selling to or servicing customers or clients of a large company, and the need to make record of such communication events, many companies have implemented what is known as contact management software. Contact management software allows sales/service agents and the like to efficiently store important information regarding contacts in a database for later review. Pertinent information may be entered into a contact management system and may be retrieved later at computer speeds thereby enabling an agent to increase efficiency related to his assigned tasks.
Contact management software typically combines functions from a word processor, a communications package, a calendar/scheduling program, and a database manager to manage information associated with day to day business. This functionality provides such capabilities as retrieving a day's or week's appointments, retrieving a client call-back list, updated reports on client activity, reminders concerning pending tasks, and so on. Customized versions of standard business letters may be generated for new clients, as well as a host of other types of tasks wherein merging and linking of different information is required.
There are several different versions of contact management software commercially available today that are tailored to different needs. Generally speaking, much training is required in the use of computer commands, input parameters and the like before an agent becomes proficient with such an application.
A neglected need in contact management has to do with commitments and fulfillment of commitments. Often, an agent or service representative makes a verbal or written commitment to a customer, client, or associate on behalf of himself or on behalf of another agent or service employee. In some large companies, this may be routine with numerous commitments made each day by numerous agents. It is, of course, desirable that the agent that made such commitments be able to fulfill them in a timely fashion. Failure to do so can erode a company's reputation. In a case wherein an agent makes a verbal commitment on behalf of another agent, then it is important that the fulfilling agent be notified in a timely manner. In a very fast-paced environment, it is extremely difficult to insure that verbal commitments to clients and the like are kept, or to track such commitments and ensure that appropriate action is taken. Often the agent who makes a commitment forgets the details of the commitment, or forgets to notify the appropriate agent on whose behalf the commitment was made.
A problem with conventional contact management software is that it does not appropriately address the issue of tracking client-specific and issue specific commitments and assigning them to appropriate agents with suitable notification and tracking. Notification events are typically limited to scheduled meetings, appointments, important time-sensitive tasks, and so on. Furthermore, present-art contact management applications do not have the capability of notifying agents over multiple media types such as E-mail, Voice mail and the like. Generally, the agent must access the contact management system to retrieve any information and generally, the accessed information is only accurate to the extent of the agent's original entry.
What is clearly needed is a method and apparatus for tracking contacts in an issue-specific manner, with facility for recording and storing commitments made by agents to clients, business contacts, or associates on their own behalf or on behalf of other agents, and then notifying all agents concerned before such time the commitment is to be fulfilled. Such a method and apparatus would significantly improve company communication both internally and externally thereby increasing efficiency and credibility.